Import Coffee from Brazil to USA | Green Coffee

Brazil grows more coffee than any country on earth, and the Santos-to-USA green coffee trade is one of the oldest continuous cargo flows in maritime history. Today it serves everyone from multinational roasters to the specialty scene sourcing single-farm micro-lots — all moving the same fundamentally moisture-sensitive agricultural product across the equator.

Coffee freight is condition management: humidity, temperature swings, and container choice determine whether green arrives at spec. AGF moves coffee with the handling discipline the product demands and the FDA workflow every food import requires.

Last reviewed: October 2026

Shipping Coffee from Brazil to USA

Green coffee ships two ways: traditional 60kg bags (about 320 bags / 19.2 tonnes per 20ft) for specialty and smaller lots, or bulk liner bags filling the container (~21.6 tonnes) for volume buyers — cheaper per tonne, standard for commercial grades. Both demand dry, odor-free, food-grade containers with kraft-paper lining and desiccant strategy against condensation on the tropical-to-temperate crossing.

Condensation ('container rain') is the classic loss mode: temperature swings crossing climate zones wet the cargo top. Lining, ventilation choices, and stowage requests (below deck, away from heat) are the unglamorous craft that protects cup quality.

60kg bags for specialty lots; bulk liners for volume economics
Food-grade container inspection and kraft lining as standard
Desiccants and stowage strategy against condensation
Santos for volume; Vitória and southern ports by growing region

What Drives the Cost

Bagged vs bulk-liner format
Duty position — zero base duty on green coffee, with any current surcharge confirmed at quoting
Condition-protection measures per season
Warehouse delivery (many roasters use bonded coffee warehouses)
Lot size — specialty micro-lots often consolidate LCL

HS Codes and Duty Notes

Classification guidance only — duty rates change and depend on your exact product. Our licensed customs brokers verify every code before you commit to an order.

HS Code	Products	Notes
0901.11	Green (unroasted) coffee	Zero base (MFN) duty; whether any current surcharge applies depends on the measures in force at entry — confirmed at quoting. Beyond that, the landed-cost story is freight, handling, and condition.
0901.21 / 2101	Roasted coffee / extracts and instant	Processed formats classify separately at low rates with fuller FDA labeling obligations.

Regulations and Compliance

Where the Brazil tariff sequence left coffee

Brazilian goods have been through several tariff turns since 2025 and coffee sat in the middle of them. A broad tariff took effect in **August 2025** and caught coffee. In **November 2025** an executive order exempted a large block of agricultural lines — green coffee beans among them — narrowing the measure considerably. In **February 2026** the Supreme Court struck down the IEEPA tariffs that measure rested on, and the surcharges that have applied since have their own scope. The lesson for anyone importing on this lane is not any one rate but the volatility: classification has decided who paid, so the position is worth confirming per contract rather than per relationship. Our licensed customs brokers check the current position against your exact lines before you commit.

FDA prior notice and facility registration

Standard food-import framework applies: registered foreign facilities and prior notice per shipment — routine on this lane, and we file it with every booking.

FSVP

US coffee importers maintain Foreign Supplier Verification Programs like any food importer; exporter documentation from Brazil's professionalized trade makes this straightforward.

Contract standards

Coffee trades under industry contract terms (moisture limits, defect counts, sampling rights) — logistics documentation and weight/quality certificates at origin underpin any claim, so we keep that chain clean.

Door-to-Door Import Service

From Santos or Vitória to US roasters and bonded coffee warehouses: food-grade equipment, lining and desiccant protocols, ocean freight, FDA-aligned entry, and delivery — with LCL consolidation service for specialty importers building multi-lot shipments.

Specialty buyers get the same condition discipline on ten bags as traders get on ten containers — cup quality doesn't care about lot size, and neither do we.

Ocean Freight Customs Warehousing

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there duty on coffee imported from Brazil?

Green coffee has a zero base (MFN) duty rate in the US; whether any current surcharge applies depends on the measures in force at entry, which we confirm at quoting. Beyond that, your landed cost is the FOB price plus freight, insurance, handling, and delivery — which is why freight quality and condition protection are where importers win or lose money on this lane.

How is green coffee protected during shipping?

Dry food-grade containers, kraft-paper lining, desiccants, and smart stowage against the condensation cycle of crossing climate zones — plus bulk-liner or quality bagging appropriate to the grade. Moisture is the enemy; the protocol is the answer.

Can small specialty roasters import directly from Brazil?

Yes — LCL consolidation makes direct-trade micro-lots practical: your pallets share a food-grade container with compatible cargo, clearing FDA and customs as your own import. Many of our coffee clients started with a single pallet.

Coffee is just one example. AGF ships whatever your business moves — on this lane and beyond. If your commodity isn't covered by one of our guides, tell us what you ship and we'll build the logistics around it.